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“He’s done this in other stops. I don’t know how many games he started
in Indiana, but he played well there as a starter. Then they made the
switch, then they made the trade. They decided to go with Hill.”– Rick Carlisle on Darren Collison

The early-season struggles of the Pacers obviously have a whole lot to do with the
absence of Danny Granger. I am in no way trying to downplay anyone’s claim that the
team would be playing better with Granger in the lineup. However, let us not forget that
Granger is not the only member of last year’s Pacers who is not on the floor for them.

By playoff time last year it seemed apparent that at some point in the offseason the
Pacers would choose between either Darren Collison or George Hill. Hill was a free
agent who might demand a decent pay raise and neither player seemed to thrive while
having to split minutes. At times, it felt like Pacer fans had to be a part of either Team
Hill or Team Collison and they had to be willing to defend their stance.

And as you all know, the Pacers went with Hill. They gave him a $40 million contract
and shipped Collison to Dallas (along with Dahntay Jones for backup center Ian
Mahinmi).

The problem with Collison in Indiana seemed to be inconsistency and sometimes an
inability to stay involved. He gave good effort and seemingly had a good attitude, but
sometimes he just didn’t have a huge impact on the game. He was a capable scorer,
but when he tried to play the role of facilitator he looked more like a bystander. Fellow
8p9s writer Tim Donahue mentioned that this was always the case for Collison in
Indiana. He said that when Jim O’Brien was around, his coaching schemes were
blamed, but it remained the same under Frank Vogel.

Rick Carlisle is not having the same problems with Collison, however. Of course, we
are still working with a small sample size, but so far Collison is thriving in Dallas.

Before the Mavericks played the Raptors Wednesday night, Carlisle talked about what
he has seen from Collison since he’s been a member of the Mavericks. “(He’s) even-
tempered. He’s been aggressive. He’s made good decisions. He’s developing a feel for
attacking and being aggressive offensively.”

The feeling around those watching Collison this year is beginning to be that the point
guard is playing well because...CONTINUE READING AT 8p9s

Two Man Game:

Travis Wimberly: Thermodynamics - Week 3

Last week around this time, the Mavs were flying high. They carried a 4-1 record and
possessed what looked to be one of the best offenses in the NBA. But after some poor
performances and a 1-3 record this week—including the franchise’s first-ever loss to
the Charlotte Bobcats—the Mavs have some work to do. But hey, at least they didn’t
fire their coach five games into the season.

Let’s take a look at the Mavs’ hottest and coldest performances from Week 3.
(Spoiler alert: Cold wins this week.)

F I R E

1) OJ Mayo
With a couple caveats, it was another strong week for the shooting guard affably
known as “Juice” (alternate nickname: “That guy who temporarily ruined USC’s
basketball program”). Mayo shot 29-of-61 (48%) in the Mavs’ four games this week,
including 10-of-20 (50%) from three-point range. He was the Mavs’ most consistent
and productive scorer by a considerable margin, averaging exactly 22 PPG. For the
season, Mayo’s true shooting percentage (64%) and effective field-goal percentage
(60%) both rank in the top fifteen in the league among guards who have played
more than negligible minutes. Mayo’s turnovers (3.5 per game this week) and
comfort within the offense both remain issues. But if the expectation is for Mayo to
be the team’s second scorer behind Dirk Nowitzki, he’s currently showing why that
expectation is entirely fair.

2) Chris Kaman’s Shooting
Having watched Kaman miss his first nine million (loose approximation) shots
against the Timberwolves on Monday night, my first inclination was that I wouldn’t
be able to put his shooting on the hot list this week. Once I crunched the weekly
numbers, however, Kaman made the cut even despite that bad outing. Kaman shot
a combined 23-of-39 (59%) in this week’s games, including terrific shooting
performances against the Knicks (86%) and the Wizards (83%). Only three starting
centers have higher true shooting percentages than Kaman (63%): Samuel
Dalembert, DeAndre Jordan, and Tyson Chandler. Along with Mayo, Kaman has
been the Mavs’ most effective scorer this season.

3) Uncle Ricky’s Temper
Somebody ought to put Rick Carlisle on blood-pressure watch, because his
numbers can’t be good after this week. First, he watched in Charlotte as his team
turned in a comical late-game performance featuring mistake after bizarre mistake.
When Carlisle reviewed the film of those final minutes against the Bobcats, one can
only assume that he did so while blasting the Benny Hill theme in the background,
driving around the room in a small plastic car, and sporting an oversized novelty
hat. Carlisle’s frustration from the Charlotte circus boiled over to the Mavs’
next game against Minnesota, a game that was less absurd but equally frustrating.
With five minutes left...CONTINUE READING AT TWO MAN GAME

Re: 11/16/2012 Game Thread #10: Pacers Vs. Mavericks

Re: 11/16/2012 Game Thread #10: Pacers Vs. Mavericks

I'm going to say what everyone else is already thinking: We choose the wrong guy this offseason, and it's going to hurt us big time tonight. It's as simple as that. I was right, and I was the only one on the board smart enough and brave enough to say it. Dahntay Jones is a much better hype guy than Jeff Pendergraph.

Re: 11/16/2012 Game Thread #10: Pacers Vs. Mavericks

I really hope the Pacers surprise tonight and play well, but nothing has shown that will happen, and you know DC has had this pinned on his calendar since he was traded to Dallas.

"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

The Following User Says Thank You to Johanvil For This Useful Post:

Re: 11/16/2012 Game Thread #10: Pacers Vs. Mavericks

I found the answer to this team
my gut feeling: ORLANDO JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On a serious note we need to give Augustin or lance a shot at starting PG, don't think Hill can run this team, he is more of a scorer